Archives May 2025

On TikTok and Reddit, people are sharing their no-buy lists, detailing breakdowns of everything they plan to avoid purchasing in 2025. For Sako Makino, 24, that list includes full-priced skincare, certain beauty products, new books, some clothing items, candles, and more. 

“I think part of the humor in this trend is highlighting how consumption-driven we are as a generation. I think Gen Z is incredibly self-aware, and we’re using this trend to kind of call ourselves out on our own bad habits,” Makino said.

A no-buy challenge involves listing products, items or services you want to avoid buying for a set period of time, anywhere from a week to a full year.

Why People Are Taking on No-Buy Challenges

People’s motivations for doing the challenge vary. Some want to pay off their credit card debt, while others are simply trying to curb their spending and save more. When Makino created her list, she was motivated by concerns about market volatility and a potential recession.

TikTok isn’t the only social media platform the trend has appeared on, either. On Reddit, r/nobuy has 68,000 members where people share their no-buy lists, their frustrations with billionaires and wealth inequality, and celebrate wins in reducing their spending.

Barbara Ginty, a CFP and host of the Future Rich podcast, recommends these challenges as a good way to reduce impulsive spending, especially if you’re prone to making mindless purchases online.

“It’s really easy with, with how attached we are to our phones, to just click and buy these days—your credit card is already linked and there’s not a lot of forethought or process [when you’re shopping],” said Ginty. 

Makino thinks the trend is not just a way for people to save more money, but also exists, in part, as a pushback against consumerism and influencer culture. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 30% of people said they had purchased something after seeing an influencer post about it on social media.

“It is exhausting to be constantly exposed to advertisements and marketing. I think taking part in a no-buy challenge for a lot of people is a way to ease that overstimulation from all the marketing,” said Makino.

Creating a Successful No-Buy Plan

Ginty doesn’t think people need to be overly restrictive with the rules of their no-buy challenge to be successful. Some might be able to tamp down on spending by simply implementing a rule that requires them to wait a month before making a purchase. She recommends rotating the items on your no-buy list each month to make it more manageable.

She explains that if you’re not buying lunch out this month, you can try not getting your nails done every week the following month. Having a goal in mind can also make adhering to the challenge easier.

“When you’re working on doing something temporary—like paying off the rest of your student loans or that credit card—and the challenge aligns with that [goal], then you’re done after that,” said Ginty.

On TikTok, content creator Elysia Berman said her no-buy year in 2024 helped her start to pay down nearly $50,000 in credit card debt. “Any desire to make impulsive purchases has been eradicated by my no-buy year,” Berman said in a TikTok in February.

While Makino has just started her no-buy challenge, she’s optimistic that she’ll be able to adhere to it for the rest of the year. She likes how the challenge helps gamify something that would otherwise be difficult to do, and she plans to try to avoid purchasing items while they’re full price (i.e., not on sale).

“I think doing the no-buy challenge has made me a lot more appreciative of the privilege I have—to be in a position where I can even have small luxuries to give up in the first place,” said Makino. “It’s definitely made me a lot more mindful and aware of how privileged I am.”

The Bottom Line

No-buy challenges are gaining traction among Gen Z as a way to cut spending, stay mindful of consumer habits, and push back against influencer-driven culture. Whether you’re trying to pay off debt or just take a break from impulse shopping, making a no-buy list could be a simple way to take control of your finances short-term and long-term.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) on Saturday reported first-quarter operating earnings that dropped 14.1% year-over-year.

The Omaha, Neb.-based conglomerate posted operating earnings of $9.64 billion, down from $11.22 billion a year ago, as profits from Berkshire’s insurance underwriting business took a hit. 

Berkshire ended the quarter with a record $347.7 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments in U.S. Treasury bills, up from $334.2 billion in the fourth quarter as Warren Buffett’s holding company kept up its selling spree. The company didn’t repurchase any stock in the period.

Buffett’s growing reserve has left many investors wondering how the company might eventually deploy it—or keep adding to it—after Buffett suggested last year that there just aren’t many candidates satisfying Berkshire’s criteria.

Berkshire’s latest results were announced ahead of the company’s annual shareholders meeting, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year to hear the “Oracle of Omaha” talk about the company’s first-quarter earnings and the economy.

Berkshire’s Class B shares have gained 19% this year, at a time when the S&P 500 has lost a little over 3% amid heightened volatility, with Friday’s gains bringing the benchmark index back to its pre-“Liberation Day” levels.

This article has been updated since it was first published to include additional information.

Award-winning writer and director Ryan Coogler is a multi-millionaire now—but he didn’t start out that way: He was once $200,000 in debt from film school.

The success of his films “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed,” and “Black Panther,” have made Coogler one of the highest-grossing Black filmmakers. Coogler, the first Black director to shoot a Marvel film, directed the vampire horror film “Sinners” starring Michael B. Jordan mwhich has become a blockbuster hit, grossing $161 million globally since its April 18 release, according to Variety. The film could pay Coogler for life, thanks to a deal he made with Warner Bros.

Coogler has an estimated net worth of $25 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.

From “Creed” to “Sinners”, here’s how Coogler made his millions.

Ryan Coogler’s Deal With WB For “Sinners”

Coogler’s films have made millions—or, in “Black Panther’s” case, billions—at the box office. “Black Panther” and it’s sequel, “Wakanda Forever,” earned over $2 billion at the global box office, according to Forbes.

His latest film, meanwhile, could pay him for life. Coogler fought to own the rights to “Sinners” and won: His deal with Warner Bros. gives him the rights to his film after 25 years. It was important to Coogler that he owns “Sinners”, which focuses on Black ownership, he told Business Insider.

Coogler asked for about $90 million in salary for “Sinners” along with control of film’s final cut and a share of gross ticket sales before Warner Bros gets a cut, according to multiple reports. The deal also give Coogler royalties from streaming services and television, as well as merchandising and licensing deals, according to CNBC.

The Oscar-nominated director also owns his own production company, Proximity Media, which produced his films”Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Space Jam” along with “Sinners.”

Coogler co-founded the company in 2018 with his wife Zinzi Coogler and producer Sev Ohanian. The company struck an exclusive five-year deal with Disney in 2021, giving Coogler the chance to be executive producer for a Disney+ series set in Wakanda, and another series called “Ironheart.”

American consumers are feeling stressed and stretched. They’re finding some retail relief just a few feet from the fuel pump. 

Convenience stores like Circle K were among just a handful of retailers that had more customers coming into their stores year-over-year in March, according to Kantar Retail’s monthly shopper tracking survey. Placer.ai, which uses mobile-device location data to track foot traffic, said in December that “C-store” chains like Kwik Trip and Buc-ee’s saw year-over-year growth in the number of shoppers coming to their stores in 2024.

That has happened, retail experts say, as convenience chains have sought to improve their food and beverage offerings while keeping prices affordable. 

“As consumers start to look for value, we’re a great trade-down opportunity from a price perspective, but not a trade-down in quality,” said Darren Rebelez, CEO of Casey’s General Stores (CASY), during a mid-March conference call. 

Fourth-fifths of the more than 150,000 convenience stores in the US sell fuel, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. The smaller shops attached to gas stations stock essentials like milk, bread. pasta, fresh produce and diapers, along with sunglasses, shampoo, cosmetics and toys.

Some 80% of the items bought at gas station stores are consumed within the hour, according to NACS, but many shoppers both fill up the tank and stock up on pantry items, like bread or eggs, for their next meal. Dollar sales of tobacco products, the largest convenience-store category according to market research firm NIQ, fell last year, while frozen food, wine, and deli and dairy products all rose.

Younger shoppers and those with children are particularly drawn to the stores’ combination of selection and convenience, according to Julie Craig, Kantar’s vice president of shopper insights.

“If we put ourselves in the mindset of younger parents not wanting to jump through hoops in a traditional grocery store—parking, getting a cart, sprinting across an enormous store, waiting in a checkout line—the convenience stores offer the ultimate quick trip,” she said.

Non-fuel gas-station sales at Casey’s, which has more than 3,000 locations, rose more than 15% in its most recent quarter, driven by general merchandise along with prepared food such as hot sandwiches and baked goods.

“We sell basic daily needs … that are low-dollar denominations,” Rebelez said. “When people have to pull back on discretionary spending, a lot of what we sell would be considered by our guests to be non-discretionary.”

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is slated to report quarterly results after the closing bell Tuesday, and several analysts have lowered their price targets in recent weeks in the wake of tighter restrictions on U.S. chip exports to China. 

Bank of America Securities recently dropped price target to $105 from $110, calling the new licensing requirements from the Trump administration an “effective shipment ban” on AMD’s MI308 chips. AMD warned last month that the move could result in charges of $800 million if it isn’t able to secure a license. Competitor Nvidia (NVDA) has meanwhile said it faces a potential $5.5 billion charge related to its H20 chip.

Deutsche Bank analysts in late April cut their AMD price target to $105 from $120, while Wedbush Securities around the same time moved to $115 from $150. 

The consensus price target of analysts following AMD who are tracked by Visible Alpha is $123.50, a 25% premium over Friday’s closing price of $98.80. Out of 12 tracked analysts, six rate the stock a “buy,” compared with five “hold” ratings and one “sell.” AMD stock has lost nearly a fifth of its value in 2025. 

AI Spending a Positive Sign, Citi Says

Despite the uncertain tariff environment, Citi analysts wrote Thursday, “it appears that spending for AI continues to be unabated.” Meta Platforms (META) this week said it plans to raise its capital expenditures this year to $64 billion to $72 billion to build AI infrastructure, while Microsoft (MSFT) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) reiterated AI spending targets of $80 billion and $75 billion, respectively.

“AI infrastructure buildouts remain as key priorities for hyperscalers with the companies’ willingness to absorb the costs of tariffs,” Citi said. “We view this as positive for AI-exposed stocks,” including AMD, they wrote.

Analysts expect AMD to report first-quarter revenue of $7.13 billion, up 30% year-over-year, alongside adjusted earnings of $1.55 billion, or 94 cents per share, more than 50% higher than the year-ago quarter. Data center sales are expected to climb 55% to $3.63 billion.

Major U.S. equities indexes pushed higher on the final day of the trading week.

The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the economy added more jobs than expected in April. The strong pace of hiring suggests that the labor market remains resilient despite uncertainties related to tariffs and trade policies.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.5%, marking its ninth straight winning session. The Nasdaq also added 1.5%, while the Dow ended 1.4% higher.

DexCom (DXCM) shares surged 16.2%, gaining the most of any S&P 500 stock, after the maker of glucose monitoring devices for patients with diabetes topped first-quarter revenue estimates. Although profits came in slightly below expectations and the company said that incremental costs could pressure its 2025 gross profit margins, DexCom highlighted strong demand and announced a $750 million stock buyback program.

The strong jobs report, which helped alleviate concerns about the potential for a sustained economic downturn driven by trade tensions, helped boost the outlook for U.S. travel demand. Shares of numerous companies in the travel industry moved higher. United Airlines Holdings (UAL) shares lifted 7.1%, while Delta Air Lines (DAL) shares advanced 6.6%. Shares of cruise operator Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) were up 6.8%.

Franklin Resources (BEN) stock added 7.2% following the investment management holding company’s quarterly earnings report. While profits came in below estimates, they grew on a year-over-year basis, and revenue in the period exceeded forecasts. Franklin also touted strong inflows for its exchange-traded fund (ETF) business, which achieved a record high in assets under management (AUM).

Although internet domain and web hosting provider GoDaddy (GDDY) exceeded earnings per share (EPS) and revenue expectations for the first quarter of 2025, analysts at RBC and Barclays reduced their price target on the stock, citing valuation concerns. GoDaddy shares slipped 8.4% on Friday, suffering the heaviest decline in the S&P 500.

Shares of public safety, enterprise security, and critical communications company Motorola Solutions (MSI) sank 7.5%. Although the provider of land mobile radio and video security systems exceeded first-quarter sales and profit expectations, it provided relatively muted guidance for sales growth in the second quarter. The company also indicated that potential tariffs could generate cost pressure throughout 2025.

Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) shares fell 6.7% after the video game maker’s subsidiary Rockstar Games announced that the release of its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI title would be delayed until May 2026. However, Take-Two indicated that despite the postponed launch, it still anticipates record net bookings in fiscal 2026 and 2027.

Below you’ll find featured rates available from our partners, followed by details from our ranking of the best CDs available nationwide.

A 4.50% Rate You Can Guarantee Until Late 2026

Today’s highest CD rate in the country is 4.50%—and you have plenty of ways to lock that in. A total of nine offers pay that yield, with the shortest option being a 3-month certificate, available from PonceBankDirect. Then, six institutions offer a 4.50% rate in the 6-month term.

Meanwhile, the longest 4.50% offer comes from XCEL Federal Credit Union with an 18-month term. This CD would secure your return until November 2026.

The full article continues below these offers from our partners.

Holding Some Cash Is Smart—And Luckily Pays Quite Well Right Now

In today’s climate of economic uncertainty, triggered by President Trump’s evolving tariff policy, parking cash in reserve feels prudent. But whether you’re holding savings in the bank or shifting funds from riskier investments, it’s important to consider how much you can earn from different cash strategies.

Fortunately, the options are excellent right now, as returns continue to be buoyed by the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remaining high. Not only that, but it appears likely the central bank will keep its federal funds rate where it is for two more meetings. According to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, financial markets are currently pricing in 66% odds that the first 2025 rate cut won’t come before the Fed’s July 30 rate announcement.

That would be good news for savers, as the rates that banks, credit unions, and brokerages are willing to pay on your savings are directly impacted by the federal funds rate. Anytime the Fed cuts that benchmark rate, rates for savings, money market, and CD accounts fall as well.

Today’s Best Rates on Cash – May 2, 2025

For an attractive interest rate that involves virtually no risk, the options for safe cash investment come in three main flavors:

1. Bank and credit union products: Savings accounts, money market accounts (MMAs), and certificates of deposit (CDs)
2. Brokerage and robo-advisor products: Money market funds and cash management accounts
3. U.S. Treasury products: T-bills, notes, and bonds, in addition to I bonds

You can choose just one of these or mix and match products for different buckets of funds and timelines. In any case, you’ll want to understand what each product pays. Below, we lay out today’s top rates in every category, indicating the change from a week ago.

Bank and Credit Union Rates

The rates below are the top nationally available APYs from federally insured banks and credit unions, based on our daily rate research of more than 200 institutions that offer nationwide products.

Brokerage and Robo-Advisor Rates

The yield on money market funds fluctuates daily, while rates on cash management accounts are more fixed but can change at any time.

U.S. Treasury Rates

Treasury securities pay their rate through maturity and can be bought directly from TreasuryDirect, or can be bought and sold on the secondary market via a bank or brokerage. I bonds must be bought from TreasuryDirect and can be held for up to 30 years, with rates adjusted every six months.

Summary Table: All Cash Options by Rate

Here’s a different look at all of the cash vehicles above, sorted by rate. Note that the rates shown are the highest qualifying rate for each product type.

Understanding Your Different Cash Options

Bank and Credit Union Products

Savings Accounts

The most basic place to stash cash is a bank or credit union savings account—sometimes called a high-yield savings account—that lets you add and withdraw money as you please. But don’t assume your primary bank pays a competitive rate. Some banks pay virtually zero interest.

Fortunately, we make shopping for a high rate easy. Our daily ranking of the best high-yield savings accounts gives you almost 20 options paying 4.35% to 5.00% APY. Note, however, that savings account rates can change at any time.

Money Market Accounts

A money market account is a savings account that lets you write paper checks. If this is a useful feature to you, shop our list of the best money market accounts.

If you don’t need paper check-writing, choose whichever account type—money market or savings—pays the better rate. The top money market account rate is currently 4.40% APY. Again, be aware that money market rates are variable, so they can be lowered without warning.

Certificates of Deposit

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a bank or credit union product with a fixed interest rate that promises a guaranteed return for a set period of time. Generally ranging from 3 months to 5 years, CDs offer a predictable return with a rate that cannot be changed for the duration of the term.

But be aware that it’s a commitment with teeth: If you cash in before maturity, your earnings will be dinged with an early withdrawal penalty. Our daily ranking of the best nationwide CDs currently includes options paying up to 4.50% APY.

Brokerage and Robo-Advisor Products

Money Market Funds

Unlike a money market account at a bank, money market funds are mutual funds invested in cash and offered by brokerage and robo-advisor firms. Their yields can fluctuate daily but currently range from 3.98% to 4.23% at the three biggest brokerages.

Cash Management Accounts

For uninvested cash held at a brokerage or robo-advisor, you can have the funds “swept” into a cash management account where it will earn a return. Unlike money market funds, cash management accounts offer a specific interest rate that the brokerage or robo-advisor can adjust whenever it likes. Currently, several popular brokers are paying 3.83% to 4.00% APY on their cash accounts.

U.S. Treasury Products

Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds

The U.S. Treasury offers a wide array of short- and long-term bond instruments. Treasury bills have the shortest duration, ranging from 4 to 52 weeks, while Treasury notes have a maturity of 2 to 5 years. The longest-term option is a Treasury bond, which has a 20 or 30-year maturity. Today’s rates on the various Treasury products range from 3.82% to 4.81%.

You can buy T-bills, notes, and bonds directly from TreasuryDirect or buy and sell them on the secondary market at brokerages and banks. Selling a Treasury product allows you to exit before the bond matures. However, you may pay a fee or commission for secondary market purchases and sales, while buying and redeeming at TreasuryDirect—the U.S. Treasury’s online platform for buying federal government securities—has no fees.

You can also buy Treasury ETFs, which trade on the market like a stock. Treasury ETFs have advantages and limitations, which you can read about here.

I Bonds

U.S. Treasury I bonds have a rate that’s adjusted every six months to align with inflation trends. You can redeem an I bond anytime after one year or hold it for as long as 30 years. Every six months you own the bond, your rate will change.

I bond rates just went up on May 1, from 3.11% for bonds issued during the last six months to 3.98% for new bonds purchased from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2025. For existing I bond holders, your next six-month rate will also increase—by almost a full percentage point. See our story about the recent rate change, including rate tables for different bond dates.

How We Find the Best Savings and CD Rates

Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs and savings accounts to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying accounts. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the account’s minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000. It also cannot specify a maximum deposit amount that’s below $5,000.

Banks must be available in at least 40 states to qualify as nationally available. And while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don’t meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don’t live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.

Apple (AAPL) shares slid Friday amid worries about tariffs after CEO Tim Cook warned they could cost the company $900 million this quarter.

Shares of Apple dropped nearly 4% to close just above $205. The stock has lost close to a fifth of its value so far this year.

“The elephant in the room continues to be the tariff tornado with Apple and Cook caught in the eye of the storm,” Wedbush analysts said after the company released its fiscal second-quarter earnings, which topped analysts’ estimates. Still, the analysts remain bullish on the stock and raised their price target to $270 from $250, based in part on Cook’s assertion during Apple’s earnings call that most iPhones sold in the U.S. this quarter will come from India, rather than China.

Cook’s comments come amid concerns Apple could be particularly hurt by trade tensions with China, where Apple manufactured an estimated 90% of its products until recently. Most Apple products are exempt from President Trump’s 125% “reciprocal” tariffs on Chinese goods, but still affected by the 20% import tax the White House put in place earlier in the year to combat fentanyl trafficking, Cook noted during Thursday’s call.

JPMorgan analysts on Friday cut their price target for Apple to $240 from $250, and Bank of America moved to $235 from $240. JPMorgan warned Apple may be able to get ahead of the impact of tariffs by building up inventory, but that benefit will fade the longer the levies are in place.

Last week, Trump said he expects tariffs on China “will come down substantially” in trade negotiations but not drop to zero. This week, a spokesman for China’s Commerce Ministry said Beijing is “currently evaluating” U.S. proposals to start trade talks.

This article has been updated since it was first published to reflect more recent share price values.

Analysts are staying bullish on Amazon (AMZN) stock even though the online retail and tech giant issued a relatively conservative second-quarter outlook after the bell Thursday.

Analysts from Wedbush, UBS, Bank of America, and JPMorgan all maintained their “buy” ratings following the report. All 26 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha who cover the stock call it a “buy.”

Wedbush, Bank of America, and JPMorgan analysts lifted their price targets to $235, $230 and $225, respectively, from $225, $225 and $220, bringing each closer to the Visible Alpha consensus of $233.64. UBS analysts, however, reduced their bullish target to $249 from $253.

Amazon shares were little changed Friday, edging 0.1% lower to close at about $190. The stock has lost roughly 13% since the start of the year.

Tariffs Could Be Fueling Increased Buying

Amazon executives said in Thursday’s earnings call that the company has not yet seen any weakness in online shopping, and if anything they have seen increased levels of buying as consumers look to get ahead of the impact of tariffs.

“While we hesitate to call this earnings report an inflection point as we are still in the dark about further tariff/policy moves, we believe we are seeing a tactical buy signal for AMZN shares,” UBS analysts wrote.

Wedbush analysts said Amazon has “multiple levers of sustainable margin improvement,” including increasing optimization and automation in its retail supply chain.

All four analysts said that the company’s Amazon Web Services platform could see strong growth in the second half of this year as it increases compute capacity, as Amazon has said its AWS sales have been limited by supply so far this year. JPMorgan analysts said that “while AWS is bringing on more capacity, that incremental supply is being consumed quickly.”

This article has been updated since it was first published to reflect more recent share price values.